U.S. patent application number 11/281147 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-17 for methods and apparatus for fastening panels.
This patent application is currently assigned to Faurecia Interior Systems U.S.A., Inc.. Invention is credited to Stephane S. L. Bordas.
Application Number | 20070107174 11/281147 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38039224 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070107174 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bordas; Stephane S. L. |
May 17, 2007 |
Methods and apparatus for fastening panels
Abstract
An apparatus for coupling a panel to a frame includes: a support
plate coupled to the panel; an engagement plate extending
transversely from the support plate and having an aperture
extending therethrough; and a clip having a pivotable arm extending
from the support plate at a first end, and at least partially under
the aperture to a second end, wherein the plate, aperture and clip
are sized and shaped to slideably receive a head and shaft of a
mating fastener, coupled to the frame, toward the support plate
such that the second end of the pivotable arm engages the head when
the shaft is fully received in the aperture.
Inventors: |
Bordas; Stephane S. L.;
(Auburn Hills, MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KAPLAN GILMAN GIBSON & DERNIER L.L.P.
900 ROUTE 9 NORTH
WOODBRIDGE
NJ
07095
US
|
Assignee: |
Faurecia Interior Systems U.S.A.,
Inc.
|
Family ID: |
38039224 |
Appl. No.: |
11/281147 |
Filed: |
November 17, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
24/664 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16B 21/065 20130101;
F16B 5/0664 20130101; F16B 5/0657 20130101; B60R 13/0243 20130101;
Y10T 24/45785 20150115; B60R 13/0206 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
024/664 |
International
Class: |
A44B 21/00 20060101
A44B021/00 |
Claims
1. A fastening element for coupling a panel to a frame, comprising:
a support plate coupled to the panel; an engagement plate extending
transversely from the support plate and having an aperture
extending therethrough; and a clip having a pivotable arm extending
from the support plate at a first end, and at least partially under
the aperture to a second end, wherein the plate, aperture and clip
are sized and shaped to slideably receive a head and shaft of a
mating fastener, coupled to the frame, toward the support plate
such that the second end of the pivotable arm engages the head when
the shaft is fully received in the aperture.
2. The fastening element of claim 1, wherein the clip includes an
angle snap at the second end thereof, the angle snap being operable
to retain the head of the mating fastener after it is received in
the aperture.
3. The fastening element of claim 2, wherein the angle snap
includes a sloping surface from the second end of the clip toward
the engagement plate for slideably engaging the head of the mating
fastener and pivoting the clip away from the aperture during
insertion thereof toward the support plate.
4. The fastening element of claim 3, wherein the angle snap
includes a hook element adjacent to the sloping surface, the hook
element being operable to retain the mating fastener within the
aperture when the head thereof slides off of the sloping surface
toward the support plate and the clip pivots back toward the
engagement plate.
5. The fastening element of claim 4, wherein the hook element
includes a surface extending transversely from the pivotable arm of
the clip substantially toward the engagement plate, the surface of
the hook element engaging the head of the mating fastener to retain
same in the aperture.
6. The fastening element of claim 1, wherein engagement plate
includes a slot extending from a leading edge thereof to the
aperture, the slot including inwardly directed side surfaces
operable to guide the head and shaft of the mating fastener toward
the support plate and into the aperture.
7. The fastening element of claim 6, wherein the second end of the
clip is positioned proximate to the slot.
8. The fastening element of claim 7, wherein the second end of the
clip extends past the leading edge of the engagement plate.
9. The fastening element of claim 7, wherein: the clip includes a
sloping surface from the second end of the clip toward the
engagement plate for slideably engaging the head of the mating
fastener and pivoting the clip away from the engagement plate
during insertion thereof toward the support plate; and the sloping
surface of the clip and the inwardly directed side surfaces of the
slot define a conical guide feature that guides the head and shaft
of the mating fastener into the aperture.
10. The fastening element of claim 9, wherein an apex of the
conical guide feature is positioned opposite the leading edge of
the engagement surface.
11. The fastening element of claim 1, further comprising at least
one guide rib positioned laterally with respect to the clip to
prevent the head from applying excessive pressure on the clip.
12. The fastening element of claim 11, wherein at least one of: the
at least one guide rib includes a respective guide rib disposed on
opposite sides of the aperture; and each guide rib includes at
least a portion of a surface sloping toward the engagement plate to
guide the head and shaft of the mating fastener into the
aperture.
13. The fastening element of claim 11, wherein the support plate is
an integral part of the panel.
14. A fastening element for coupling a panel to a frame,
comprising: an engagement plate coupled to, and extending
substantially parallel to, the panel, the engagement plate having
an aperture extending therethrough which is oriented transversely
to the panel, and a slot extending from a leading edge of the
engagement plate to the aperture; and at least one guide rib
disposed below the engagement plate and having at least a portion
of a surface sloping toward the engagement plate to guide a head
and shaft of a mating fastener into the aperture.
15. A method of fastening a panel to a frame, comprising: coupling
an engagement plate substantially parallel to the panel, the
engagement plate having an aperture extending therethrough which is
oriented transversely to the panel, and a slot extending from a
leading edge of the engagement plate to the aperture, the slot
including inwardly directed side surfaces operable to guide a head
and shaft of a mating fastener, of the frame, into the aperture;
providing a clip having a pivotable arm extending from a first end
at least partially under the aperture and at least toward the
leading edge of the engagement plate to a second end; slideably
receiving the head and shaft of the mating fastener into the
aperture; and preventing the head and shaft of the mating fastener
from sliding out of the aperture through the slot using the clip in
tension.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for
fastening panels together, such as for securing a door trim panel
to a door module of a vehicle.
[0002] Door trim panels are employed as interior components on
automotive vehicles. One of the purposes of such interior trim
panels is to present an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Door
trim panels are typically mounted to structural support members on
the door module. For example, door trim panels are mounted to an
inner door sheet metal panel or to a door module (or frame) which
replaces the traditional inner door sheet metal of the automotive
vehicle.
[0003] There exist a variety of conventional fasteners for
attaching panels to support members in the automotive industry. A
common problem with assembling such panels has been that the
fasteners are difficult to align with mating fasteners in the sheet
metal of the frame. As a result, misaligned fasteners sometimes
result in a mallet being employed to attach the door panel to the
frame, often resulting in the fracture the fastener. Additionally,
poor fastener design will subject the fasteners to overstressing
during assembly or use (i.e., shutting door) and may cause the
fastener to break or fatigue or otherwise result in a loss in
retention strength for holding the door trim panel in place. As a
result, some conventional door trim panels frequently become
loose.
[0004] Many conventional fasteners are of two-piece construction:
the door trim panel includes a socket often referred to as a
"doghouse" and the frame includes a pin (e.g., head and shaft)
arrangement. The pin secures to the frame and may be snap-fit into
the doghouse to secure the door trim panel to the frame. A
plurality of such fasteners are usually employed to secure the door
trim panel to the frame. The heads of the pins may be preassembled
into the respective doghouses. Once a desired number of pins have
been secured to the door trim panel via the doghouses, the panel
may be secured to the frame by inserting the shaft (or shank) ends
of the pins into respective bores formed through the frame. The
benefit of using the doghouses to secure the pins to the door trim
panel is that a blind connection may be made between the panel and
frame, i.e., there is no externally visible fastener present in the
door trim panel once the connection between the panel and the frame
has been made.
[0005] Of significant concern in a two-piece fastener design are
the degree to which the pins are easily aligned and inserted into
the doghouses, and the degree to which the pins are retained in the
doghouses once snapped in.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,870 discloses a conventional two-piece
fastener for coupling a door trim panel to a frame, the entire
disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. A doghouse
15 includes a wall 16 and an aperture 25 therethrough, the aperture
25 having a generally circular opening with an open edge 27 for
lockably receiving a grommet 40 of a pin 60. The doghouse 15
includes inclined surfaces 26 and 28 for camming the grommet 40
into the aperture 25. A pair of resilient arms 30, 32 extend from a
leading edge of the wall 16 toward the aperture 25. The arms 30, 32
have tips 31, 33, respectively, which engage and lock the grommet
40 in place once inserted into the keyed aperture 25. The tips 31,
33 of arms 30, 32, respectively, have inclined camming surfaces 34
to assist in deflecting the arms 30, 32 as the grommet 40 is
snap-locked into the aperture 25. The socket 15 may be integrally
molded of a polymeric material and integrally formed with the door
panel 10 or otherwise suitably attached thereto by ultrasonic
welding, adhesive bonding, or the like.
[0007] Among the problems that the inventors herein have discovered
with the doghouse design employed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,870 and by
others is that an overall depth dimension of the doghouse must be
relatively large to accommodate the resilient arm(s), e.g. the arms
30, 32 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,870 that extend from the leading edge
of the wall 16 toward the aperture 25.
[0008] Another conventional two-piece fastener includes bumps or
ridges to achieve the snap-fit connection of the pin and doghouse
as opposed to using resilient arms as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,870.
The bumps are disposed around the slot/aperture to retain the
grommet in the aperture. While the use of bumps may reduce the
depth dimension of the doghouse somewhat, it does not reduce such
dimension as much as would be desirable and it increases the
likelihood that the pin will disengage from the doghouse.
[0009] As a result of all the difficulties with existing fasteners
for attaching, e.g., vehicle trim panels to vehicle sheet metal,
and particularly door panels to the sheet metal structure of a
door, warranty claims for loose panels and broken fasteners are one
of the major concerns in the automotive interior trim field.
[0010] Thus, there are needs in the art for a new approach to
securing a panel to a frame, preferably which reduces the depth
dimension of the doghouse and/or improves the ability of the pin to
remain locked in the doghouse.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present
invention, a fastener system for attaching, e.g., an interior door
trim panel to a metal frame of the door (or door module), may
include a plurality of fasteners (or pins) and doghouses. Some or
all of the fasteners may each include a shaft with a head sized and
shaped to snap-fit into the doghouse. The shaft of the fastener may
connect to the metal door frame by resistance or interference fit.
The doghouses are preferably integrally molded with the interior
door panel. The doghouses may each include an insertion area that
slideably receives a head of one of the fasteners, such that it is
clipped in. The insertion area preferably includes a keyhole-shaped
aperture for receiving the head and a clip that is located under
the aperture. More specifically, the clip preferably includes a
pivotable arm that extends from a first end at a rear of the
aperture to a second end terminating toward (and/or forward) of the
aperture. The clip may include an angle snap at the second end to
engage the head of the fastener. The doghouse may include one or
more guides (or ribs) below the aperture to prevent the head from
moving downward through the clip (e.g., longitudinally with respect
to the pin).
[0012] Among the advantages of the embodiments of the invention
includes the ability to reduce the depth dimension of the doghouse
as compared with some conventional designs without sacrificing
retention of the pin in the doghouse. In particular, the doghouse
depth may be reduced at least in part because the clip extends from
the first end at a rear of the aperture to the second end
terminating toward (and/or forward) of the aperture. Thus,
additional structural footprint need not be employed to accommodate
a clip extending from the opposite direction.
[0013] The door panel can be assembled to the door module in two
ways: (1) with the shafts of the fasteners already inserted in the
door module and the heads of the fasteners elevated somewhat, the
door panel is slid into position such that the doghouses slide over
the heads and capture them; or (2) with the heads of the fasteners
already slid into the doghouses, the door panel is pressed against
the door module such that the shafts of the fasteners are inserted
into respective bores the door module.
[0014] In accordance with one or more aspects of the present
invention, an apparatus for coupling a panel to a frame includes: a
support plate coupled to the panel; an engagement plate extending
transversely from the support plate and having an aperture
extending therethrough; and a clip having a pivotable arm extending
from the support plate at a first end, and at least partially under
the aperture to a second end. The plate, aperture and clip are
preferably sized and shaped to slideably receive a head and shaft
of a mating fastener, coupled to the frame, toward the support
plate such that the second end of the pivotable arm engages the
head when the shaft is fully received in the aperture. It is noted
that in some embodiments, the support plate may be an integral part
of the panel.
[0015] The clip preferably includes an angle snap at the second end
thereof, the angle snap being operable to retain the head of the
mating fastener after it is received in the aperture. For example,
the angle snap may include a sloping surface from the second end of
the clip toward the engagement plate for slideably engaging the
head of the mating fastener and pivoting the clip away from the
aperture during insertion thereof toward the support plate.
Alternatively or in addition, the angle snap may include a hook
element adjacent to the sloping surface, the hook element being
operable to retain the mating fastener within the aperture when the
head thereof slides off of the sloping surface toward the support
plate and the clip pivots back toward the engagement plate. For
example, the hook element may include a surface extending
transversely from the pivotable arm of the clip substantially
toward the engagement plate, the surface of the hook element
engaging the head of the mating fastener to retain same in the
aperture.
[0016] The engagement plate preferably includes a slot extending
from a leading edge thereof to the aperture, the slot including
inwardly directed side surfaces operable to guide the head and
shaft of the mating fastener toward the support plate and into the
aperture. The second end of the clip may be positioned proximate to
the slot. The second end of the clip may extend short of, at, or
past the leading edge of the engagement plate.
[0017] The apparatus may further include at least one guide rib
having at least a portion of a surface sloping toward the
engagement plate to guide the head and shaft of the mating fastener
into the aperture. For example, the at least one guide rib may
include a respective guide rib disposed on opposite sides of the
aperture, each guide rib having at least a portion of a surface
sloping toward the engagement plate to guide the head and shaft of
the mating fastener into the aperture. The guide rib(s) prevent the
head from moving downward through the aperture and placing
excessive pressure the clip (which might damage the clip and other
structures).
[0018] In accordance with one or more aspects of the present
invention, a method for coupling a panel to a frame includes:
coupling an engagement plate substantially parallel to the panel,
the engagement plate having an aperture extending therethrough
which is oriented transversely to the panel, and a slot extending
from a leading edge of the engagement plate to the aperture, the
slot including inwardly directed side surfaces operable to guide a
head and shaft of a mating fastener into the aperture; providing a
clip having a pivotable arm extending from a first end at least
partially under the aperture and at least toward the leading edge
of the engagement plate to a second end; slideably receiving the
head and shaft of the mating fastener into the aperture; and
preventing the head and shaft of the mating fastener from sliding
out of the aperture through the slot using the clip in tension.
[0019] Other aspects, features, advantages, etc. will become
apparent to one skilled in the art when the description of the
preferred embodiments of the invention herein is taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] For the purposes of illustrating the various aspects of the
invention, there are shown in the drawings forms that are presently
preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not
limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities
shown.
[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a two-piece fastening system
for coupling a panel to a frame in accordance with one or more
embodiments of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 2 is an elevational view (e.g., side view) of the
fastening system of FIG. 1;
[0023] FIG. 3 is plan view (e.g., top view) of the fastening system
of FIG. 1;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a clip of the fastening
system of FIG. 1; and
[0025] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the fastening system of FIG. 2
taken through line 4-4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0026] With reference to the drawings, wherein like numerals
indicate like elements, there is shown in FIG. 1 a perspective view
of a fastening system 100 for connecting a panel 102 to a frame 104
in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present
invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that
the panel 102 and frame 104 may be employed in any number of
different mechanical contexts. By way of example, and not by
limitation, the panel 102 may be a door trim panel 102 for the
interior of an automobile and the frame 104 may be the door module
104 of the automobile to which the panel 102 is to be secured. The
door module 104 preferably represents one or more structural
elements of the door of a vehicle and the door trim panel 102
represents an aesthetically pleasing panel that covers the less
aesthetically pleasing components of the door module 104. The door
trim panel 102 is preferably coupled to the door module 104 by way
of one or more fastening systems 100, one such system 100 being
shown for brevity and clarity. In a preferred embodiment, numerous
fastening systems 100 would be utilized in different locations to
ensure that the door trim panel 102 is securely attached to the
door module 104.
[0027] The fastening system 100 includes a doghouse 106 and a
mating fastener (or pin) 108. The doghouse 106 includes a support
plate 110 extending transversely (e.g., perpendicularly) from the
panel 102, and an engagement plate 112 extending transversely from
the support plate 110. Although not required, it is preferred that
the engagement plate 112 extends substantially perpendicularly from
the support plate 110 and substantially parallel with the panel
102. The engagement plate 112 preferably includes an aperture 114
extending therethrough, preferably with its axis oriented
transversely with respect to the panel 102. The engagement plate
112 also preferably includes a slot 116 extending from a leading
edge 118 of the engagement plate 112 to the aperture 114. In this
regard, although not required the aperture 114 and slot 116 may
assume a keyhole shape. Preferably, the slot 116 includes inwardly
directed side surfaces 120, 122 that taper from the leading edge
118 toward the aperture 114.
[0028] Preferably, the doghouse 106 is integrally formed of
injection moldable plastic material so as to be of a one-piece
construction. Most preferably, the doghouse 106 is integrally
molded with the panel 102 using suitable polymeric materials.
[0029] Although the pin 108 may take on any number of features and
characteristics known to those skilled in the art, or apparent to
those skilled in the art from the description herein. By way of
example, the pin 108 may include a shaft 124 that extends through a
bore 126 in the door module 104, e.g., by way of fins 128. At a
distal end of the shaft 124, the pin 108 preferably includes a head
130 that defines a mating mechanism for the doghouse 106. For
example, the head 130 may include a grommet formed by first and
second disks 132, 134 separated by a portion of the shaft 124.
[0030] Preferably, the engagement plate 112, slot 116, and aperture
114 are sized and shaped to slideably receive the head 130 of the
mating fastener 108 and retain same therein in order to securely
couple the panel 102 to the door module 104.
[0031] In accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention,
the fastening system 100 may include further features to accomplish
the snap-fit connection of the mating fastener 108 in the doghouse
106. In this regard, reference will now be made to FIGS. 2-5. For
example, the doghouse 106 may optionally include a clip 140 having
a pivotable arm 142 extending from the support plate 110 at a first
end 144. The clip 140 preferably extends from the first end 144 at
least partially under the aperture 114 to a second end 146. As best
seen in FIG. 5, the engagement plate 112, aperture 114, and clip
140 are preferably sized and shaped such that the head 130 of the
mating fastener 108 slideably enters the doghouse 106 and is
retained therein by the second end 146 of the pivotable arm
142.
[0032] By way of example, the clip 140 may include an angle snap at
the second end 146 thereof, where the angle snap is operable to
retain the head 130 of the mating fastener 108 after it is received
in the aperture 114. More particularly, the angle snap may include
a sloping surface 148 from the second end 146 of the clip 140
toward the engagement plate 112. The sloping surface 148 is
operable to slideably engage the head 108 (e.g., the disk 134
thereof) of the mating fastener 108 and to cause the arm 142 to
pivot about the first end 144 and to cause the angle snap of the
clip 140 to move away from the engagement plate 112 as the head 130
slides through the slot 116 into the aperture 114.
[0033] As best seen in FIGS. 2-4, the support plate 110 may
optionally include a slot 150 to assist in achieving the pivotable
action of the clip 140. In particular, the slot 150 provides relief
to the first end 144 of the pivotable arm 142 such that the
torsional forces generated at the first end 144 of the arm 142 in
response to the engagement of the head 130 with the sloping surface
148 may be distributed along a portion 152 of the support plate
110. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the length of
the portion 152 may be adjusted from zero to some maximum length
depending on desired amounts of flexibility and of distribution of
the torsional forces desired by the designer. Alternatively and/or
in addition, the clip 140 may include an undercut 154 (shown in
dashed lines) at the first end 144 of the pivotable arm 142 to
assist in pivotable movement of the clip 140. Alternative
embodiments of the invention may omit the slot 150 and the clip may
depend from the support plate 100 directly as a simple lever
arm.
[0034] The clip 140 preferably includes a hook element 160 adjacent
to the sloping surface 148. The hook element 160 is preferably
operable to retain the head 130 of the mating fastener 108 within
the aperture 114 when the head 130 slides off the sloping surface
148 toward the support plate 110 and the clip 140 pivots back
toward the engagement plate 112. In this regard, the hook element
160 preferably includes a surface 162 extending transversely from
an upper surface 164 of the pivotable arm 142 and toward the
engagement plate 112. Thus, the surfaces 162, 164 of the clip 140
preferably retain the head 130 of the mating fastener 108 (e.g.,
the disk 134 thereof) from moving downward (vis-a-vis surface 164)
or out through the slot 116 (vis-a-vis surface 162). Indeed, once
the clip 140 pivots back into its resting position, the disk 134 is
preferably trapped against a lower surface of the engagement plate
112 on the one hand, and by the surfaces 162, 164 on the other
hand.
[0035] Preferably, the second end 146 of the clip 140 is positioned
proximate to the slot 116. Indeed, those skilled in the art will
appreciate that the second end 146 of the clip 140 may terminate
short of the leading edge 118 of the engagement plate 112, at the
leading edge 118, or past the leading edge 118.
[0036] As best seen in FIG. 2, the sloping surface 148 and the side
edges 120, 122 preferably define a conical guide feature that
guides the head 130 of the mating fastening 108 into the aperture
114. The aperture is preferably slightly larger than the shaft 124
portion of the head 130 to assist in ensuring that the head 130 may
engage the doghouse. In a preferred embodiment, the aperture 114
also includes a tapered edge 166, such as at a 5 degree angle for
tooling and ease of manufacturing purposes.
[0037] The panel 102 can be assembled to the door module 104 in a
number of ways, such as: (1) with the shafts 124 of the fasteners
108 already inserted in the door module 104 and the heads 130 of
the fasteners 108 elevated somewhat, the door panel 102 is slid
into position such that the doghouses 106 slide over the heads 130
and capture them; or (2) with the heads 130 of the fasteners 108
already slid into the doghouses 106, the panel 102 is pressed
against the door module 104 such that the shafts 124 of the
fasteners 108 are inserted into respective bores 126 the door
module 104.
[0038] The doghouse 106 may also include at least one guide rib 170
having at least a portion 172 thereof sloping toward the engagement
plate 112 to guide the head 130 of the mating fastener 108 into the
aperture 114. In a preferred embodiment, a first guide rib 170 and
a second guide rib 174 are disposed on opposite sides of the
aperture 114, where each guide rib includes a surface that at least
partially slopes toward the engagement plate 112. Advantageously,
the guide ribs 170, 174 assist in guiding the head 130 into the
doghouse 106 as well as preventing the mating fastener 108 from
moving downward (e.g., longitudinally with respect to the shaft 124
direction) into the doghouse 106 and potentially damaging same.
[0039] Advantageously, the clip 140 permits serviceability of the
panel 102, e.g., the panel 102 may be disconnected from the frame
104 numerous times without damaging the doghouse 106 or the
fastener 108. Another advantage of the design of the clip 140 is
the ability to reduce the depth dimension of the doghouse 106 as
compared with some conventional designs without sacrificing
retention of the mating fastener 108 in the doghouse 106. Further
advantages include improved guiding of the head 108 into the
doghouse, for example, resulting from employing one or more of the
features of the clip 140, the slot 116 and the rib(s) 170, 174.
[0040] Although the invention herein has been described with
reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that
these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and
applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be
understood that numerous modifications may be made to the
illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised
without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention as defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *